April 13th, 2020- April is National Safe Digging Month. With so many Illinoisans home due to the COVID-19 public health emergency and the weather getting warmer, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) is urging residents and excavators to help flatten the curve by postponing non-essential outdoor digging projects until Governor Pritzker’s ‘Shelter in Place’ order is lifted.
If a project is deemed necessary, the ICC suggests using extreme caution and to remember to call 811 before you start digging.
ICC Chair Carrie Zalewski says “Any time you start an excavation or digging project without first having called 811 you risk hitting buried gas, electric, communications, water or sewer lines which can cause physical injuries, property damage and service disruptions. This spring, our first responders and medical professionals are already overburdened with the COVID-19 pandemic. For your safety and to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases, the ICC is urging homeowners and professional excavators to consider postponing projects if they are non-essential. If you must proceed, please continue to practice physical distancing, be extra cautious, and call 811 before you dig.”
A request to locate underground utility lines can be made by dialing the convenient three-digit phone number “811”. Requests are managed by JULIE, Inc. (Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators) across most of Illinois, or 811 Chicago within the city limits of Chicago. The cost of the call and the locating services are free. Despite the ‘Shelter in Place’ order, both JULIE and 811 Chicago are continuing to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
However, wait times could be extended due to staff across the state being impacted by COVID-19. Illinois law requires homeowners and professional excavators to call 811 at least 48 hours (or two business days) before starting any outdoor digging project. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, and planting a tree or garden are examples of activities that require locating the underground lines they own with color-coded markings. The digging project must begin within 14 calendar days from the call and locate requests that have a 28-day life. Violators may face penalties as part of the ICC’s One-Call enforcement efforts.
